Death Ride 2011

My day started at when the alarm went off at 2 in the morning. I had a roller-coaster of thoughts and emotions leading up to the event. Surprisingly none of them were fear or failure. I trusted the training and the program. I had no expectations other than I wouldn't quit and I would follow the instructions that my coaches gave me for the event day.

This was my biggest challenge in cycling to date. We rolled at 4 in the morning in pitch dark to tackle 5 passes that would encompass 129 miles and 15,000' of climbing. It was cooler than I expected as we headed out towards Monitor (our first pass). It was an eerie experience to ride unknown roads with only a dim bike light and shadows.

Riding in the dark is odd but climbing in it is *bizarre*. It messes with your mind. The flashing red tail lights from the cyclists ahead is the only gauge you have of what might be ahead. You know you are climbing because by now...you are already in your granny gear! You can't anticipate anything...you just keep pushing forward. At times it felt like I was riding on flat tires because of the percentage of grade I couldn't see.


Watching the sunrise come up while we rode Monitor was a spectacular sight...one of the highlights of the day! The first and second passes were tougher than I had been told or anticipated. However, the descents were amazing! Willie and I were in complete sycronicity...another memorable experience for me.



As we headed towards Ebbett's (our third pass), the weather began to warm up quickly. My legs were feeling worked but knowing I had ridden Ebbett's in the pass gave me the confidence to not second guess anything. With the heat increasing I was going through my water bottles quicker than I had planned...which caused me to make an additional water stop. On tired legs, the front side of Ebbett's was longer and steeper than I had remembered. My mental process was to be present and take one pass at a time.

I rolled up and over Ebbett's with my 3rd sticker earned! The SAG stop at the bottom was the first time I felt I needed a brief break to do more than fill my water bottles. I left out of there with my fourth sticker and part of my ride group. I was going the *speed of slow* up the 4th pass. This was the hottest part of the ride so far, with very little breeze or shade.



Everyone on our team was struggling with lows and illness...including myself. We were trained that this would be a possibility on event day. With determination and tenacity they impressed me as they pushed through it all and continued on with Carson in their sights. Quitting was not a choice any of us were going to make willingly. That's one of the benefits of being part of a team, is knowing we are all there to help and encourage...especially during the lows. I was thankful for everyone of the cheers and encouraging words that was shared throughout the day.

I reached the top of Ebbett's about 2:40...now way off my personal ride schedule. I knew it would be next to impossible to make the Woodford's time cut off. The descent off the front is technical and a bad cycling incident caused more of a delay in addition to traversing ambulances that were heading up the hill. Didn't get to the lunch stop at the bottom of the hill until 3:30...quitting still wasn't an option!


The cutoff time was 4:00 and in spite of pushing it through headwinds...that was the time that I hit downtown Markleeville. 6 miles short of making it...today was not my day to get that 5th sticker. I was disappointed but not upset for me. I knew I did everything I could and never gave up. It just wasn't my day for 5.


I had an amazing day and experience...no regrets! I made the decisions I needed to with the cards I was dealt for the day. Another highlight was being at the finish line to cheer in most of my team as they finish their amazing journey through 5 passes of the Death Ride. I'm so proud of them all...Go Team!

Next time...5 stickers!

Send-Off

We are at that time in the season where we celebrate our training and prepare for our event. Its a bittersweet process of coming to the end of the season. I've been on this journey with 34 other people for the past 5 months...I can't believe the time has went by SO QUICKLY! Now, we are at send-off...this is just the beginning to the end of a memorable season.

We were a melting pot of strangers, acquaintances and friends that has become one cohesive team. We all came to this challenge for different reasons, but with one goal in mind...The Death Ride.

I'm blessed to have gotten to know my teammates and myself better through our struggles and our successes this season. It has been a healing and learning place for many of us.


I was challenged and schooled this season in many ways! Here are a few of my learning highlights; I've become a more confident descender; my body can pedal a bike uphill (over 10,000' in one ride) for a long time; my bike & me are NOT heavier than the wind;I'm not getting any faster; to not give up on myself; I can ride 30 miles without food or water (not recommended) before my body quits; "no stinkin' thinkin"; I still don't like riding in the wind; pain is temporary; and it doesn't matter if your fast or last...just finish!

So I take these lessons and prepare for next weekend. The Death Ride is the accumulation of all we've invested into ourselves and the season...our celebration! It will be a once in a lifetime experience that will be remembered and treasured by all of us on this team.

However, after the tears and cheers comes the bitter part of the journey. With bikes loaded, bodies tired, and minds fatigued we all crawl in our cars and drive off. Over the next few days the reality sets in...our Death Ride adventure with our TNT family has ended (sad face here).

Our hearts will be full with the experience, our minds will be filled with fond memories and now our Saturday's have become unscheduled. It always strange going through the post-season adjustment phase. As I've discovered with every season some friendships will remain and others will drift away as life takes us all in different directions. But we will always have the 2011 Death Ride season!


I'm thankful to everyone on my team for being part of this amazing chapter with me. I've learned things from them and because of them. Many of the experiences, moments, conversations and the laughter have left a positive imprint that will remain...thank you all & Go Team!

So now onto the packing, organizing, planning, traveling and riding! Ready or not Death Ride...here we come! Are you ready for us?

Last Big Training Ride

This week my Death Ride team journey was staged out of Kentfield. The plan was to ride anything that went up in Marin County. The route map was 120 miles and 12,500' of climbing. The majority of the big climbs were in the first half of the ride.
It was a beautiful day and I felt good on my first trip up Mt Tam.



We had a few obstacles riding down to Muir Beach and climbing up towards Mt. Tam. First our descent towards the beach got interrupted by road construction which turned Team in Training into Team in Waiting as the road became a parking lot. Then on our journey back up we were slaloming the Dipsea Marathon participants who were running on the street downhill in our lane. I guess they believed they had the right-away.

There were a couple other comical situations that made for good post ride shares;-) I was feeling strong as we rolled through SAG 2 & 3. However, by the 3rd SAG our ride group that began with 7 was now just 3 of us. And our lone very motivated participant taken off while we were putting together the strategy for the people heading back.

We were about 20 minutes behind her and she was having an extraordinarily strong day. I think she must have been drinking out of G4's water bottles;-) We did our best to chase through strong coastal winds...however, my chase abilities are weak at best, sorry Coach. We hit Marshall Wall with still no one in sight! The winds were persisting, we were cold and I was ready to be done with this ride!



We motored to Wilson Hill and in the distance we finally spotted our head coach who was riding with our wayward teammate! It took awhile but we got caught them. To my surprise she had continued to get stronger and as we rolled onto Petaluma/PT. Reyes Highway she dropped all 3 of us as she geared up and broke through the wind...holy crap! That was deflating!

We all re-grouped at SAG 5 in Nicasio. I was feeling very sluggish as I rolled in and knew I needed to re-fuel. As soon as I stepped off Willie and walked up to the snack table my legs started to buckle, I was nauseous and the ball fields were spinning...uh oh! Thankfully there was a chair right there or I would have been on the ground. As I was trying to get Nicasio to stop spinning I heard "let's go, I'm ready"! That's when I needed to make a game time decision. She was having a great day and I wasn't going to be the anchor of the group. I hit a wall and I needed more time and fuel to get right. I called it...game over at mile 100 for me:-( I wasn't feeling well enough to even be pissed at myself.

My first season coach was the SAG and pumped some chocolate milk into me to make me start feeling normal again. I was feeling better as Willie and I got our Mini ride back to my truck.

I analyzed my ride on my drive home and this morning and all of the sudden it became clear. There were a few factors but my AHA moment suddenly hit me.I stopped all my normal ride habits when my focused changed! After SAG 3 I barely touched my water bottle. Climbing Marshall was the last swig I took (until chocolate milk) and I wasn't eating on the bike! I was so focused on fighting the wind, catching a rider and getting done that all my good habit disappeared!

Cycling 101 nutrition & fuel! I stopped taking care of me, so my body finally stopped...my dumb ass move #2 for the season! It should have been a ride I finished and now I know why I didn't:-( I made 100 miles and almost 10,000' but couldn't close the deal...another valuable lesson learned...the hard way.

Three weeks to go...

It hit me this week when another cyclist commented that he was riding Death Ride in 3 weeks. Its surprising that this training season has went by so quickly! The realization we were so close to it is a bit unsettling...am I really ready?



Last week was Altitude Camp, where we all got a taste of what's to come for the event. A tough eye opening weekend for all. For me, the toughest part was a medication mix-up on Saturday morning that has thrown me off for the last week. When I realized it part way up Ebbett's it pissed me off...I felt like a dumb-ass! It also made me feel very raw & vulnerable to have to share something with my team that was very personal. The embarrassment fueled me to not give up on missing the training rides or show my weakened state to them. To my surprise, I made it through and went back and rode both Ebbett's & then Carson the next day!

This week the torture was intensified with John Steven's buddy ride that was beyond brutal for the entire team. I wasn't sure metabolically my body had stabilized enough to join the ride until Friday and it was still going to be a gamble. The route was 100 miles and 11,000 feet of climbing...my biggest challenge of the season so far!



The first group headed out and and we quickly spread out leaving me in the middle riding alone. This season my regular pace hasn't really fit with anyone on this team. It sounds strange to most but my bike, "Willie" has been my consistent buddy on a lot of the rides...and, yes I talk to him since at times there is no one else but us for 50 - 100 miles. Its not ideal but its just how it is on non-team rides. The actual team rides I alter my ride to stay with and support my ride group.

Yesterday my plans changed when I lost my map mid-ride and needed to alter my plans. I believe things happen for a reason and yesterday I needed to be with my ride group. It reminded me why I was pulled onto this team as ride support, we are a team and we all struggle at different points. As my body was screaming for mercy on Zayante, it took me out of myself to be there for my teammates.



We all dug deep to get through this ride! For the first time at the top of Zayante (about mile 70) I was trying to figure out if I could keep riding as my nausea intensified or if I would need to stop to expel what was torturing me. I was also fighting between chills and sweating as my exhausted body was also fighting the changing weather conditions later in the ride. Of course the late in the day chamois issues were there to add to the fun! I've learned endurance cycling is about constantly making choices and riding through discomfort.

I was reminded this week to not give up on myself and it was an important tool I used throughout this ride. Many times I wasn't sure if I had what it took to get through the ride. I just took it one section at a time and self-talked myself through it. Getting back to Page Mill took forever! You know you've hit exhaustion when you wonder if I have the strength and focus to handle the screaming descent back down to the bottom. Willie was ready roll!

I was never so glad to see my truck. However, the happiness and relief was short lived as my ride group rolled in and we all realized one of our group was missing...crap! We all saw her at the top of the decent? Where could she be? Search & rescue went into full effect! We were reminded of how powerful stress and adrenaline can be when you didn't think you had anything left in the tank! Fortunately, I rolled back to the Park n Ride just as she found her way back and rolled up wondering where everyone was...haha! I don't think she realized how long she was lost. I was so impressed with her positive attitude..."go team"! We made our needed calls to end the mission. I was so thankful & revealed she was okay.

I finally rolled home at 9:30 after re-routing through SF for teammate drop-off. Dinner consisted of drive through food at 9:00, since my body was done sustaining on bike food (gels & water) and the half sandwich in Davenport. It was a 16 hour day door to door and my shower & bed never felt so good. The best part...I DID IT!

Larkspur Loop on March 5th

This was my first visit to Alpine Dam and up Mt. Tamalpias in Marin County. What an adventure and a great way to spend my birthday. Shhh…yes, it was my actual birthday. It was a team buddy ride weekend. My gift from the team was pain, suffering and harassment but still a beautiful day and adventure.



The weather was perfection, in the 60’s with no wind or rain. I was having a good ride tackling the first climbs up to the dam. However, on the decent I discovered that I had a screw loose (insert joke here)…haha! My back water bottle & cage was coming loose, it was crooked and interfering. This caused me to slow, and ride down into Alpine Dam holding a water bottle in my hand…not fun!



Thank you to my teammates Jon& Jim for re-configuring the cage with the one screw I had left. This comprised the cage and it really couldn’t hold any weight without creating problems. So I was down to one fill-able water bottle for the remainder of the ride.



The rest of the ride up Mt. Tam was a tough one over the Seven Sisters and especially into the visitor center parking lot. There, I popped a small wheelie…not my intent! It was a very steep grade and my lighter bike and lack of proper position created the OMG moment…yikes! I don’t recommend this on a road bike:) Obviously, I still have A LOT to learn. But mission accomplished…I rode all the way to the top of Mt. Tam!!!



The view from the top of Mt. Tam was truly a breath-taking gift...so far, the best I've seen in the Bay Area. It was a spectacular day to spend with friends old & new as I tackled another great ride! Having it be on my birthday made it that much more memorable:)

Feels like winter!

After an entire week of being on weather-watch, we were blessed with good cycling weather for our Orinda team ride. Thankfully, all the sea-level snow warnings didn't come to fruition. It was still damn cold but we were prepared. Most of us were dressed like we were heading out to the slopes of the sierra's not cycling the east bay...haha!



The week before a hearty and foolish bunch of us braved almost monsoon conditions for a 60 mile buddy ride. Probably the worst combination of weather I have ridden in so far. Many on our team titled it "The Epic Ride". To me it felt more like an episode of survivor on bikes! So this week was a very welcome relief from battling multiple elements.

I continue to be amazed by what my new bike, "Willie" has carried me through in just a few short weeks. This week was similar mileage to the previous, but the climbing was pushed up to about 5000'. We were doing hill repeats on Pinehurst! I'm thrilled I've made it through 4 weeks of this training.



I'm surprised, that this many weeks in and I'm still meeting and getting to know new teammates. Obviously, I need to work on my social skills...haha! I know that seems shocking, considering how chatty I can be, but our ride groups have been somewhat speed segregated. The hurry up and go methodology of this team doesn't leave much time for socializing off of the bike. Especially for my group that has a slower pace, at times everyone is done & gone by the time we roll in. Nevertheless, we are still having fun.

Overall it was a very good ride. Discovered some new roads and areas to ride...didn't fall down or run over any wildlife and am getting to know my team. Oh, and it was a sunny day spent on my bike...so, not a bad day at all!

New Wheels & New Adventures

Last week a big change happened in my cycling...I got a new bike, "Willie"! My friends at Pegasus Bicycle Works built him for me in time to start my Death Ride training. Its a beautiful Wilier with Campy components designed to get me up those grueling climbs.

Saturday was his maiden voyage with the team. This was the bikes true test, since I had only ridden him a couple times before this ride. On the first hill climb the lower gearing and pushing 7 less pounds of bike weight was very apparent. It was amazing at the ease of which this bike glided up the hills!



However, my new toy does take some getting use to...throughout the day I found myself struggling with new clips and cleats set-up. The rhythm of my stops & starts are not as smooth as they used to be...it frustrates me a little. The lighter weight bike going downhill also feels strange.

Overall I was having a great ride with the bike until our route briefly popped us onto a bike path. This is where my day got interesting. As I was coasting along, another little pink cyclist with training wheels on took an abrupt left turn into my front wheel...yikes! My options were, abrupt left off the road and down into a rushing creek or emergency break and lay my bike down...oh, shit! Fortunately I was only at a coasting speed and took option # 2. I did everything I could to protect the bike in the process. It appeared other than a bruised ego everything was fine with me and the bike. Oh...and I didn't run over the little girl.

45 minutes later I began to feel the effects of the fall. My neck & shoulders were tightening up and my bike wouldn't shift into the lower gears. After identifying my need for Advil and SAG to adjust my bent derailleur...we headed onto the last part of our ride.

After the unscheduled stop, I was riding with only two people (a friend and a coach) to catch up with the rest of our group. As we were heading up the last climb of the day, I encounter another unexpected visitor...a squirrel! Without warning he jumped off a rock at my front tire! I braced for impact...we all did! Somehow, his massive squirrel body made it pass my front tire (barely) and I ran over his tail...we were all screaming including the squirrel! Holy crap...I ran over a live squirrel!



Somehow, we all survived the encounter without hitting the pavement. OMG...my heart was pounding out of my chest as we didn't break stride in our cadence. I was not about to hit the pavement twice in one day! Since there was no bike lane we had to continue riding to the top of the hill before we could take a second to catch our breath and check our shorts...seriously!

Having this be my first team ride with "Willie", I thought nature and children had it out for me and/or my bike...haha! It was quite the story to tell when we reached the rest of the team. Two first's...going down with my bike and running over a live animal. Trust me...I don't want seconds on either of those activities!

It was an eventful day and one I will not soon forget.

Ride safely and beware of training wheels and squirrels!

Here we go...ride #1

The first ride of the season always goes through Pinole. Its a fast-paced day of clinics and a timed sorting ride to determine the ride groups for the season.

For newbie participants it is an overwhelming deluge of information. It becomes home-coming week for the staff and alumni. The spring season has two cycle teams, Death Ride and Tahoe/STP and they are combined for the clinics, so the socializing was times two.

After 2 hours of clinics...ugh, we were split up into ride group based on our self-professed abilities. I quickly stepped up to be in the turtle group. It was obvious I was in the minority of the team...we were only 4 people.



This was unlike my previous team sorting rides of a rolling 12 mile out & back...we had the challenge of a 30 mile climbing loop! We headed out in groups and everyone quickly spread out. It was very apparent with this team that I was riding out of my league.

I would best describe the bulk of my teammates as gazelle/mountain goat hybrids. Its amazing to watch them effortlessly ascend the hills and speed away from me on the flats. I aspire to be half that good by the end of this season.

In spite of riding at the end of the pack all day, I had a great ride. Well, the flat tire wasn't too fun...haha! However, the weather was gorgeous, my ride company was entertaining and my ride average (with all that hill climbing) was a personal best of 12 mph.

I'm just taking one week at a time and my goal isn't speed but finishing each time. My hope is I will improve each week, as will the rest of the team. Therefore, I will likely retain my turtle status throughout this season...hopefully, smiling all the way there.

A HUGE change in my plans...

Well...its official, I think I finally lost my damn mind!

As of last week I'm now a member of the 2011 Death Ride team. Did I just say that out loud...yikes!?! They say, admitting to it is the first step...haha! This truly came out of left field for me since I didn't sign up for it.

When it was found out that I was passed over for a staff position on the TNT AMBR/STP team, I suddenly became fresh meat...and the vultures of the TNT Death Ride (DR) team came a callin':-o I was unaware at the time, but there was some amazingly sweet and supportive calls and emails made on my behalf from former teammates, that prompted the cycle manager (with the support of the head coach) to contact me. I expressed my known concerns and they were fully willing to work with me.

I weighed my options for several days with input from friends, pro/con lists and a talk with my horse (yes, she needed to know & yes, I talk to my horse). In the end, the support and encouragement from my personal cycling network of friends, my Sports Injury (SI)Doc and bike shop brought me to the conclusion to agree to join the team. This was an opportunity that may never come along again...so, "why not"

My initial concerns was first, my body's ability...and my cycling SI doc gave me the green light & committed to keep my body healthy through the season & has already set me up on a nutritional plan. The one change she prescribed, as a "must"...better bike and gearing.


That brings me to my second concern...proper equipment. I love my bike but "B" has taken me as far as he can go and this task is bigger than he was built for. I started researching newer bikes online. During a conversation, while I was processing my decision whether or not to join the DR team, the owner of the bike shop offered me an amazing opportunity...to build me a custom bike for this event! A new bike was not on my radar or in my budget. He purposed a P/T work trade (to administer/manage his bike team) in exchange for me getting much more bike than I could have ever afforded. Its very exciting but I think I sold my soul on this one...haha!

As you can see, its definitely going to take a village to get me through this training and the event! And having everyone stepping up, has been amazing. Some of my dearest villagers have also been offering up their time (to ride together) & emotional support...which may be called upon as I move further into the training season.

I was lucky to also not have to fund-raise this season but the irony is they appointed me to be the "Fundraising Captain" for the team! A cruel joke indeed, since now my worry will go way beyond myself and onto my entire team's success with their fundraising goals...cue the Pepcid!


At this moment I haven't convinced myself I will complete the final event. All I can do now is trust the system and the coaches. I'm committed (or I should be) to put my best effort into this and see how it plays out. I definitely have more will and tenacity than I have athletic ability.

My life in general has been about pushing through challenges, fears and naysayers to reach goals. This event will be an extreme version of pushing my limits and cutting through the doubts...its another unexpected step in my journey.